A judge awarded a 76-year-old New Orleans woman more than $460,000.00 in her slip and fall lawsuit against Entergy of New Orleans. The woman broke her arm when she fell on a piece of plywood at an Entergy work site in December 2003. She subsequently underwent four surgeries costing more than $136,000.00.
The suit alleged that Entergy was negligent in failing to post barricades or warnings around the work site where she fell. Entergy attorneys argued that barricades were not necessary due to the high number of people walking in the area, and the absence of any other injuries or complaints about the worksite. They further argued that barricades were in place at a portion of the worksite where the sidewalk was in disrepair to fix a gas line.
After a two-day bench trial, the Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge ruled that the plywood created an unreasonable risk of harm. The judge further ordered that Entergy pay 80 percent of the woman’s damages, plus medical costs. He attributed the other 20 percent of damages to the unidentified person that moved the barricades at the site.
Slip and fall incidents can cause serious injuries. Contact a New Orleans injury lawyer if you suffer injury on another’s property. You may be entitled to financial compensation, and a New Orleans injury attorney can help.